Haitian Recycled Steel Sun Face

The warm sun is a Haitian hallmark, a symbol of the shining spirit of Haiti's indomitable people. Made from recycled steel oil drums, this jovial piece brings the soul of Haiti right to your home.

In Haiti, where recycled steel oil drums are a valuable source of metal, the artisans of Croix des Bouquets fashion amazing works of metal art that leave no carbon footprint. 55-gallon drums dumped there have been turned into art supplies by the residents since in the 1950s. They're cut and purified with straw fires that burn out the residue. Once cleaned, the artisans use hammer and chisel to work them by hand, as the lack of electricity during the day makes power tools impossible. The result is greenest of green arts and the chicest of the eco-chic...and a keepsake entirely unique.

Each purchase provides an extra donation to GROW -- Girls' Right to Opportunity Worldwide. Through this program girls in developing countries are provided the opportunity to attend secondary school, in turn providing them with a economically better, healthier future.

Recent reviews:

November 2, 2014 -
This is lovely, will look nice on wall outdoors, nice to support Haiti!

October 2, 2013 -
I collect masks from all over the world, have more than 50. I saw this and had to add it to my collection of about 12 sun and/or moon masks. It was easy to hang and makes a wonderful addition to this particular mask collection.

February 4, 2013 -
This face will make you smile! It's the perfect size for hanging almost anywhere. The details are well done and give such character to the face - I love it!

June 20, 2012 -
This sun is an exceptional value. It hangs on my wall with two Tree of Life pieces from Hunger Site and three other works from other Fair Trade retailers. I always look here to see what it new for me to buy to support Haitian artisans.

Artisan: Croix des Bouquets

Outside of Port au Prince in the small village of Croix des Bouquets, an art medium born of the industrial revolution and the green movement has met with international acclaim. Artisan Rony Jacques cleans and reclaims iron oil drums, handcrafting them into delightfully whimsical wall hangings, ornaments, and garden statuary. Rony's work fine-tunes the accumulated techniques of generations of artisans, going back to the originator of the art form, George Liautuad. Liautuad's ironwork cemetery crosses and home decor accents became a sensation in the 1940s when they caught the eye of DeWitt Peters, a representative of President Truman's Point for Four economic aid program in Haiti following World War II.

Rony Jacques' success and subsequent acclaim have enabled him to train and employ twelve artisans in his workshop in Croix des Bouquet. He is working on developing his regional business into an international source for unique forged metal handicrafts. Worldwide demand for his work keeps his current operation running at full capacity, and the orders continue to pour in.